Second Chances
by Ms. Quartermaine
Summary: Written for the LJ Tracy Q. Ficathon. Challenge: Tracy gets trapped. Tracy ends up trapped in an elevator with someone she has no interest in listening to, but with her life on the line, she might not have a choice.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Second Chances

**Author**: Ms. Quartermaine

**Summary**: Written for the LJ Tracy Q. Ficathon. Tracy ends up trapped in an elevator with someone she has no interest in listening to, but with her life on the line, she might not have a choice.

CHAPTER ONE

"No one can find out about this conversation. Are we clear?" the bald and tattooed janitor said in a threatening tone.

"Very," the other man nodded.

"Good," he responded.

Nearby, Tracy Quartermaine stood at the hospital's circulation desk. She looked up for a brief moment, not expecting her eyes to meet with Manny Ruiz's.

He put on a big smile, "Good day," he told her. The janitor waved.

_Um, okaaaay. _She ignored him and checked the time. _Oh, I'm late!_

"Hold that elevator!" the acerbic businesswoman cried out as the heels of her luxurious shoes stridently tapped the floors.

"If she heard that conversation, she needs to disappear," Manny whispered. "Follow her."

Not paying attention, Tracy entered the elevator very quickly and out of breath. "Whew," she rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes for a second—

This moment of peacefulness was interrupted by an oddly quiet, yet noticeable crashing sound, followed by a sudden jolt. "What the hell?" she opened her eyes. "Ugh," she said disgustedly. "You have to be kidding me."

The man who stood in the elevator was much too familiar. Leather jacket. Gray T-shirt. And blue jeans. "Mr. Morgan," she responded in an irritated tone.

He just stared.

"I am trapped in an elevator with Jason Morgan," she managed to spit out, unenthusiastically. "Move," she ordered while reaching for the emergency telephone. "Hello!" she shouted into it? "Hello? Is anyone there!" She paused. "It's not working."

And he stared some more.

"Well," she put on a smile. "We'll just sit and wait until someone comes from us. The Charity Guild is expecting me. Someone is going to notice I'm missing. And until then, the two of us," she gestured, "will not have any association. Are we clear?"

Again, he stared.

Tracy Quartermaine decided to make herself comfortable. After removing a handkerchief from her purse, she cleaned a small area of the elevator floor, so she could have a seat. She proceeded to look to the left and then to the right while rubbing her hands together. Then, she glanced up at Jason. He stood motionlessly; his hands in his pockets. He continued to stare. _Goodness. WHAT is he looking at?_

She checked the time. 1:58pm. Surely, despite the incompetent maintenance staff, _someone_ would realize the elevator wasn't working and fix it. Soon. She tapped her recently manicured nails on the ground and once again, glanced up at her brother's son.

"All right!" she shouted suddenly, standing up. Jason didn't move. "WHY…ARE… YOU…STARING?"

This time, he blinked.

"Ooh, I'm impressed," she teased. Then she turned serious, "I don't understand. Are you planning your latest victim's demise or what? What could _possibly_ going on in that mind of yours?"

"Tracy," he said, slightly annoyed.

"He speaks…" she noted in a resonant, dragged-out voice.

And then, silence filled the elevator…again.

"This has to stop," she decided as she clapped her hands together. "Sitting here in the peace and quiet isn't going to go over too well with me."

"It isn't?"

"Nope. This is your fault, and— "

"My fault?"

"Wow, Jason!" she said incredulously, "You _are_ capable of carrying on an actual conversation," she paused. "And yes, your fault. You shouldn't have held the elevator—"

The sharp sound of a fire alarm interrupted her.

"What the hell?" Tracy asked, pretending to more so irritated than afraid.

PREVIEW: With Jason's help, Tracy makes a startling discovery.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Jason Morgan could read people, and it was very apparent that Tracy Quartermaine _was_ scared. "You have to stay calm," he told her.

"No," she shook her head in disgust. "I'm not one of your mob molls, Jason. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Tracy—"

Before he could finish, she started banging on the doors and shouting, "HELP! HELP US! GET US OUTTA HERE!"

The fire alarm seemed louder.

"HELP!"

"Tracy!" Jason yelled. "Shut up!"

"Stop ordering me around! HELP!" she continued. She hit the door until her arms became tired. "I…I…Help," she whispered, before stopping.

The file alarm still sounded.

"My cell-phone!" she realized.

"It's not going to work," Jason told her. "I already tried."

She waved a finger in his face, "Well, don't think remembering your cell-phone makes you a smart one," she paused. "Because it doesn't." She sighed, "You don't think there's a real fire, do you?"

He shrugged, "I don't smell smoke, but I'm not going to wait around. Excuse me."

"What are you going to do?"

Jason desperately tried to pry open the elevator doors.

"Guess you're not as macho as you think," Tracy noted. "And even if you were, what if we're between floors? You're going to open those doors and see a cement wall. Yeah, that's great." She might as well have been talking to herself because Jason wasn't listening.

"Damnit!" he said.

"What did you do?" she asked, annoyed.

"Hold on. Hold on. I got it!" the doors opened.

"And there's your cement wall, genius," she gestured with her hand. She folded her arms. "Now what?"

"We see if there's another way out."

Tracy laughed her laugh. "Oh my God. You're serious? What other way is there?"

Jason pointed up.

"You are serious," she realized.

The steady buzz of the alarm was disrupted by a creaking sound.

"What was that?" Tracy asked.

"You're going to find out."

"Me? What?" she was shocked. _He has to be kidding._

"I'm going to help you up, and you're going to tell me what you see."

_He's not kidding. _"Jason, no. I can't…I can't…Trust me. It's not going to work. This isn't me. I can't," she repeated. And she was right. It _wasn't_ her…or was it? Tracy Quartermaine could scheme with the best of them and make people with they had never been born. She considered herself somewhat adventurous, and hell, she'd give anything to be on an adventure with her husband right now, instead of trapped in an elevator, in a possibly burning building, with Jason Morgan, but—

"Tracy?"

"Hmm?"

"You ready?"

She placed both hands on her face, "All right, but I'm only doing this because I have no interest in spending the final hours of my life with you."

"Come on, then. If you want to get out here, you're going to have to work with me."

"On second thought—Kidding," she added. It wasn't time to be amusing.

Jason sighed. He was frustrated with her but wasn't going to say anything. "First, take off the heels. Then, on the count of three, you're going to put one foot on that bar, push off on it, and put your other foot there."

"Whoa. What?"

"It's not complicated."

"Then you do it."

"Tracy, you won't be able to catch me if I fall."

Tracy frowned. _He not insinuating that he'll catch me if I fall, is he? _

"I'll catch you if you fall."

_Yep. That's exactly what he was insinuating._

"Come on. One. Two. Three—" she stood motionlessly on the metal bar, greatly trying to keep her balance.

"I gotcha," Jason held her hand.

"Oh, you are so lucky we're related, because if we weren't, and you took my hand like that, I'd slap you the hell out of this town."

"Tracy, please—"

"What?" she asked, innocently. "If we weren't related, I'd honestly believe you were trying to make a move."

Jason didn't react much; he just instructed, "Less talking. More concentrating."

"Aye, aye, Mr. Morgan. Oh, God. I _am _taking orders from you now."

"Can you balance? You'll need both hands to open the trap door."

Tracy adjusted her footing. "Okay, I'm good. You can let go of my hand."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm good," she repeated, aggravated. She let go. "All right. I almost have it. Almost…Ooh! Got it!"

"What do you see?"

Tracy confirmed Jason's fear, "Oh, God. The elevator cable is breaking…and…and—" she started coughing. "I see smoke."

PREVIEW: Tracy reluctantly tells Jason about Manny Ruiz.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Jason remained calm. "All right, I'm going to help you down."

"I can get down myself," she insisted…and she did so, successfully. "Told ya," she coughed again.

Jason went back to staring.

"Please tell me that stare translates into: 'I have a plan, and this elevator is not going to fall straight into the ground, killing the both of us. Oh, and in the meantime, we're not going to suffocate to death.'"

He spoke, "That sound earlier…That was…That was the cable breaking."

"Oh, gee, you think?"

"This fire is intentional, Tracy. Someone wants to make sure we…or I," he corrected, "doesn't come out of here alive."

"Well, you sure waste no time getting to the point. Way to lay it down nicely, by the way," she joked, although it was not a joking matter. She closed her eyes, "I'm sorry. I just…"

"Tracy, you don't have to explain."

She swallowed and then realized, "Oh my God."

"You can't panic," he reminded her.

"No. Oh my…Oh my God," she sighed as she covered her face with her hand. "This…This is…Oh God. Jason, this is my fault."

Jason became interested, "How is this your fault? Tell me everything you know."

She covered her mouth, "I, uh…I didn't give it much thought….Oh..."

"I need details, Tracy."

She shook her head, "No."

"Do you want to get out of here alive or not?"

"Of course I do! Do you think I'm stupid?" she responded condescendingly.

"Then tell me what you heard."

"You big, bad mobsters think you can solve everything," she rolled her eyes. "And what good is it going to do, anyway? The elevator is _still_ going to fill up with smoke. We'll suffocate to death."

"Heat rises. The fire is above us. There's time," he spoke in short sentences.

"Hmm, really?" she said rudely. "What happens if the elevator falls? We're _still_ going to die."

"Stop acting like that."

"Stop telling me what to do."

"What did you hear?" he was persistent.

"Not much, all right?" she became angry. "Just 'no one can find out about this conversation.'"

"What about the actual conversation?"

"I don't eavesdrop, Jason, unless the conversation is of interest to me."

"Well, how would you know it wasn't of interest unless you were eavesdropping?"

"Damn. You think more than I thought you would."

"Tracy—"

"Jason, I'm serious. That's all I heard. Then I looked up, Manny Ruiz looked at me—"

"Manny Ruiz," he repeated.

"Yes."

"Do you have idea how dangerous that man is?"

_Of course I know how dangerous he is. _"What? I glanced up at the wrong time. Besides, he wanted you dead way before I entered the picture."

Jason went on, "Then what happened?"

"He said 'good day' and waved. That's it."

Jason sighed.

"You gonna stare some more or what?"

The elevator creaked again, and it fell a bit. Tracy jumped. "I'm okay," she smiled. "I'm okay. I, um, I'm going to sit down."

Jason tried his cell phone again. "Nothing," he responded.

"Well, there's a surprise," she said sarcastically as she tried hers.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Tracy laughed, trying to hide her fear.

Jason took a seat beside her, "Well…"

"Well…"

"We just sit."

"Sounds uh, boring. Never mind," she laughed. "I forgot who I was trapped with."

The fire alarm continued to sound. A fixed buzzing sound that fortunately no longer pierced Tracy Quartermaine's ears. She started tapping her nails again.

"Can you please stop that?"

She sighed, "Fine. Whatever shall we do then?"

"We can just here in silence. Wasn't that your original idea?"

"Yes, but let's assume these are the last hours, maybe even minutes, of my life. Do you think I want to spend them watching you stare?" She paused, and considered the idea. "I suppose it might be better than talking to you."

Jason didn't say anything.

"God, Jason!"

"What do you want me to say, Tracy?"

"I don't know. I don't know," she said once again. And then, the eerie creaking noise continued. "How much more time do you think we have?"

He didn't have an answer.

PREVIEW: Jason reaches out to Tracy.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

A half hour had passed. Jason and Tracy hadn't said a word to each other, and both of them didn't plan on that changing.

With nothing left to do except sit and wait and hope that someone would rescue them, Tracy did the only thing she could do when she couldn't fix her own problems: Bargain with God. It was never supposed to be regular occurrence, but she couldn't help herself.

_All right, God, it's me, uh, well, Tracy Quartermaine—again. _She looked towards her brother's son. He remained staring.

She went on,_ Yeah, guess I didn't too good of job keeping that last promise. Um…I'm not sure if…Okay…Well, if you hadn't notice…Oh, wow…I'm still so bad at this. _She bit her lip. _All right, if you hadn't noticed, I'm trapped in an elevator that's not only going to fill with smoke, but possibly fall down the shaft soon. Very soon. _She swallowed.

_I, uh, don't want to sound desperate. I don't do desperate, but um—_ Even though she wasn't speaking out loud, she paused to lick her lips. _Please. I don't want to die today. I won't promise to be a better person, but I…I promise to try. How's that?_

_And, my motives aren't completely selfish, you know? I want to be there for my son, Dillon…He's a teenager. Despite what the world thinks, he needs his mother…I need to be there when he graduates college…I need to be there when he gets married. Oh wait—That already happened. _She laughed aloud.

"Tracy?" Jason interrupted her.

"Hmm?" she said, acting oblivious to what just happened.

"You were laughing?"

"It's not your business, Mr. Morgan," she said sternly.

Jason nodded and went back to staring.

"If I tell you, will you stop doing that?" she wondered.

"Stop doing what?"

"Staring blankly into space."

Jason looked towards her, "What is it?"

She shut her eyes, "I was, uh, I was thinking about Dillon."

"He's a good kid," Jason said truthfully.

"You hardly know him," she looked at him strangely. "But, yeah, he is," she agreed. In his own way, Jason Morgan was actually reaching out to her. "I, uh...I, don't remember the last time I told him I love him." She couldn't believe she was telling him this.

Jason listened attentively.

Tracy tilted her head, "Although…I've probably told him a hell of a lot more recently than I've told Ned." She shut her eyes again in an effort to hold back her tears. "I _really _can't remember."

"I'm sure both of them know."

"Okay," Tracy stopped herself. "This has to stop. I can't…I can't be doing this."

"All right," he stated simply.

_Oh, God. Jason Morgan and I…We just…Wow. We were actually civil to one another. I guess life and death situations do that to people. I still can't believe I'm spending the last moments of my life with this man. Out of ALL the people in this world…_

The creaking became louder, and there was a bump. Tracy started to breathe heavily, which Jason noticed.

"We're still here," he told her.

"But for how long?" she took control. "All right. I'm thinking we've fallen far enough. Why don't you try and open the doors again? Maybe there will be an actual floor this time."

"Instead of a cement wall?"

"Yes, instead of a cement wall," she mimicked. "Stop acting stupid."

"Tracy, I'm not sure—"

"Open the damn doors," she ordered.

"I just don't want to move around a lot. Any sudden movements, and—"

"You don't have to finish," she swallowed. She knew how that sentence was going to end, and she didn't want to hear it.

Jason stood up slowly. The screeching of the elevator became louder.

Tracy looked up, "All right. Sit down. I changed my mind," she said nervously.

"Hold on." Since the doors had been opened earlier, they were easier to open now. "More cement," Jason noted.

"Thanks for that astute observation," she responded sarcastically.

As he walked towards the back of the elevator, the screeching sound could be heard yet again.

Tracy closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists, "Please, Jason. Sit down, and stop moving." Once Jason, took a seat, the elevator fell again, there was an abrupt jolt. And this time, the elevator fell much more than it had before. Tracy screamed.

PREVIEW: Jason and Tracy find themselves talking about Sam and Luke in a conversation that neither of them ever imagined having.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Tracy tightly held her knees to her chest and put her head down. Jason looked towards her. She was mumbling something, but he chose not to intrude. 5 minutes later. 10 minutes later. 15 minutes later. A light sheet of smoke filled the elevator.

_Luke Spencer. _Her husband. The man she pretended not to care about. The man that she never admitted to loving. The man she'd never get the—No, she refused to go there. No more negative thoughts. As soon as she got out of here, she would remind her sons that she loved them and for the first time, she'd tell her husband the same—No. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

As she thought about the husband she might never see again, she wondered what Jason was thinking about. With nothing better to do, she decided to strike conversation, "Jason?"

He looked at her, although she wished he hadn't. Since the accident, the man had acted as a robot. He never seemed to express emotion. No happiness. No sadness. No fearfulness. Nothing. But this time…She didn't see the robot. She didn't see the automaton that took orders from a greasy haired thug for a living. She didn't see Jason Quartermaine either, but she did see a man, and he appeared to be upset.

"Um, Jason," she said again.

"What?"

"There's _nothing_ we can do about this?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?" she coughed slightly.

He nodded.

"I don't get it. You of all people are convinced this is the end."

"I never said that."

"You haven't said much," she retorted before calling out his name again. "Jason…," she began; she had to stop that. She was Tracy freakin' Quartermaine. She did not consider Jason Morgan the second coming of Christ like most of the women in Port Charles, and it had nothing to do with him being her brother's biological son. Jason Morgan was a career criminal with the most irksome sanctimonious attitude. He could steal other man's children, manhandle women, and kill people for a living, but it didn't matter. He was, after all, such a loyal friend, the favored son, the—_Oh, he's not worth the thought, and I'm certainly not going to annoyingly whisper, "Jason…" every two seconds._ She wasn't that desperate. But this didn't mean that she couldn'thave a conversation with him...

She sighed, "What are you, um, thinking about?"

He didn't respond.

"You have to be thinking about something…or someone," she added, as she wiped her eyes. The smoke had started burning them.

"Sam," was all that came out of his mouth.

Tracy might have not been up to speed with all of the current PC happenings, but Jason and Sam had been together for a long time, and it wasn't a secret that they loved each other deeply…or as close to love as Jason could get.

"Oh," Tracy answered. "I, uh…"

Jason continued to look at her.

"You're getting married, right?" she almost sounded interested.

He looked at her strangely, "Uh, yeah."

Tracy smiled slightly, "Nervous?"

Jason blinked, "No."

"Just wondering," she shrugged. Although she really wasn't wondering.

She tried again, "Happy?"

"What?" Jason seemed confused.

"Are. You. Happy. That. You're. Getting. Married?" she enunciated every syllable, not knowing why exactly she was asking him this.

A simple "Uh, yeah" was all that he responded.

Tracy noticed the lack of enthusiasm in his voice, and while she could have chalked it up to being trapped in an elevator with a rather cavalier socialite such as herself, she didn't.

"You need to be happy, Jason," she said a little too sincerely. "So does Sam," she paused. "I could tell you a thing or two about marriage," she laughed uneasily as she tried to stifle her cough.

Then, both of them became quiet. It just seemed too awkward to continue.

Jason surprised himself and Tracy when he re-initiated the conversation, "What about you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What are you thinking about? Your sons?" he, too, then coughed.

She rested her head against the back wall of the elevator and bit her lip, "No, my, uh, my husband." _Why am I telling him this?_

"Luke Spencer," he stated.

"Nothing is sacred in this town," she muttered.

"It's been a year, hasn't it?"

She looked at him incredulously, "Since he got me drunk and dragged me to the altar? Yes, it's been a year. How in the hell would you know that?" _Damn. I think I liked it better when he kept his mouth shut._

"Nothing is sacred, remember?"

She managed to laugh, and Jason even smiled.

He decided to go on, "Why are you still married then?"

"Why are you asking so many questions all of a sudden?" she asked suspiciously.

"Do you love him?"

Tracy was shocked, "What? Where is this coming from?"

"If we do get out of here, you should tell him."

_It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever discuss my love life with Jason Morgan. _"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Just because the rest of the world takes the anointed one's advice, doesn't mean I do," she stared coughing again; it almost turned into a gag.

"We shouldn't be talking," he said simply.

Tracy nodded in agreement.

"But let me ask you this…"

She squinted her eyes.

"What if we don't get out of here?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Stop Acting Like That?"

He sighed, "Will he ever realize how you feel about him?"

She pressed her lips together. _Jason Morgan is not having this conversation with me. He's not. _She was in denial. _And I'm not actually listening to him._

"Do you _really _want to screw up your second chance?"

"Provided I get one, right?" she laughed haughtily which resulted in a heavy cough, "Why are you doing this? You don't give a damn about me or my husband, much like I don't give a damn about you or your newest mob princess. So, why? Tell me why," she spoke nervously, her voice raspy.

"I, uh…Sam and I…We…We…Well, I just know what…what…"

"Stop. With. The. Stuttering. Did you pick it up from Sonny or—"

A harsh, almost cranking noise filled the elevator for a moment.

"Head between your knees," Jason instructed.

"I know," she squeezed her eyes shut.

And then it fell some more. She felt her stomach drop.

Tracy opened her eyes, "Oh my gosh!"

PREVIEW: Jason and Tracy manage to get out of the elevator, but their problems are far from over.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

"I can see the floor!" Tracy said happily. "Oh my gosh! I can see the floor!" The smoke no longer bothered her.

"All right. You're going to have to jump. Can you do that?" Jason wasn't used to being around such tough women. He didn't mean for it to sound condescending, but it did.

Luckily, Tracy hadn't noticed. "Of course I can do that," she said excitedly, not realizing that this didn't mean the end of Manny Ruiz.

"If I go first, I can help you." He probably shouldn't have offered.

"I don't need any help," she reminded him.

"Heels off," he said simply.

"Ugh. I know!" She was becoming frustrated.

"On the count of three. One. Two—"

Tracy interrupted, "I will jump when I'm ready, Mr. Morgan."

He kept his cool. Obviously, fiddling around at a time like this was a good way to get killed, but Jason figured that Tracy knew as much, and she did. And within a moment, she jumped to the floor beneath her as the familiar face from earlier slyly came from around the corner, "Hello, Sweetness," Manny whispered ominously. She let out a piercing scream.

"You can scream all you want, Cupcake. The building's been evacuated. No one can hear your precious voice," he stroked her chin with his finger.

And at that instance, Jason, like a damn super hero, jumped from the elevator, "You hurt her, and I'll hurt you."

"Ooh, look. Right on cue. It's Jason Morgan," Manny said wickedly. "Here to save this lovely lady?"

He didn't respond.

"Put the gun down," Manny demanded, as he whipped a knife out of his pocket.

Tracy Quartermaine could never remember being so scared. Her heart sank. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Not even Helena Cassadine holding her at gun-point had her this rattled.

"Put it down," he said again. "Or—"

Jason gently placed the gun on the ground and put his hands up. "It's down. Just let her go."

Tracy bit her lip. _If I get out of this, it's not going to be Jason Morgan, mob enforcer, that rescues me. It's not. _She opened her eyes and surveyed the shiny knife that Manny firmly gripped.

"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered in a menacing tone.

She didn't say anything.

"We just need to be clear about what happened earlier. No one can find out about that conversation."

She wanted to speak.

"What is it, Cupcake?"

"I didn't hear anything," she said boldly.

"Ah, well, my associate and I suspect that you did. And it seems that you've spent a little time with Mr. Morgan here. That's quite a shame. What did you tell him?"

"I…I…" she stuttered over her words.

"Spit it out."

Tracy swallowed again, "I didn't tell him anything," she lied. "I don't have anything to tell."

"Oh, I'm not too sure about that, sweetheart," he moved the knife closer. She tensed up, and her heart pounded rapidly. Manny noticed, "What is it?" He paused waiting a response. When she didn't give him one, he continued, "We can either do to this here or in an undisclosed location. What will it be?"

"All I heard," she began, "was 'no one can find out about this conversation.' I have no idea about the _actual_ conversation," she was surprised by how normal she sounded. She didn't sound afraid, but on the inside, it was a whole other story.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you were telling the truth?" he gave her a tight squeeze. Tracy's body trembled.

"I am telling the truth," she insisted. "I happen to value my life," she still stared at the knife.

"Still not buying it…Let's go," he practically dragged her towards the stairs.

"Where are you taking her?" Jason asked even though he didn't expect Manny to tell him.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked. "Come on," he said, still holding Tracy. She unwillingly went along. "Mario," he snapped. The man from earlier joined the three of them. "Make sure this man doesn't follow us." Mario held his gun to Jason's chest.

"Won't be a problem," he muttered.

"It better not be," he warned.

Manny took her to the stairwell, and Tracy swallowed again. Her throat was dry, and her eyes burned from the smoke she had been exposed to earlier.

"I…," she murmured. "Please…let me go. I have no idea about what happened earlier. No one will ever have to find out." That didn't come out as normal as before. Not that she'd ever admit it, but Jason's presence had almost pacified her. She'd roll her eyes at herself expect that it could've been _anyone's_ presence that calmed her. Tracy Quartermaine just didn't want to be alone with this frightening man…like she was now.

"Mr. Morgan has other plans," he insisted.

"You haven't a clue what he's up to, and neither do I. Please. You want to deal with him, fine. Please," she coughed. "Leave me out of it." She couldn't believe she sounded so pathetic. Or maybe it wasn't pathetic. She just _really_ didn't want to die.

"Yes," a voice said. "Leave my wife out of it."

Tracy's jaw dropped, and for a moment, she thought everything would be okay, "Luke?"

"You bet, Spankybuns," he said, much too calmly.

PREVIEW: Luke tries to reason with Manny.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Mr. Spencer," he said gleefully. "To what do I owe—"

Gun fire sounded up above. Tracy shut her eyes at the intense noise.

"Bye, bye Mr. Morgan," Manny responded. "Guess who's next?" he looked into Tracy's eyes.

The surrounding circumstances and the smoke inhalation from earlier resulted in her collapsing into Manny's arms. She lied lifelessly.

"Tracy!" Luke yelled as he ran over to her. Manny swept her away from him. "Come any closer, and I kill her." He slowly swayed the knife back and forth. It was less than one inch away from her throat.

"She needs a doctor," Luke whispered, not taking his eyes off his wife

"There's nothing a doctor can do if she's dead," Manny responded. He moved the knife closer to her.

"She's not dead," Luke said, angered.

"Not yet," Manny responded with an eerie twinkle in his eye.

_You son-of-a-bitch. _It took everything to keep Luke Spencer from reaching for the gun hidden in his coat and shooting Manny down right there, but he knew better than to take drastic measures so soon.

Manny started to leave with a limp Tracy in his arms. Luke felt helpless. He watched as his wife, arms dangling at her side, lay motionlessly.

"Tell Sleeping Beauty here 'good night,'" Manny said.

"Don't!" Luke begged. "Let her go. You can disappear to wherever. She didn't do anything."

"You're right. She didn't do anything."

"Then, why are you doing this?" Luke asked, barely audibly.

"Because this lady was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Then it's not her fault! And even if it was, she doesn't deserve to die!" he shouted frantically. "Please. Let me call 911. There's a phone in my back pocket. I…"

"Don't," Manny warned. He once again held the knife to the unconscious Tracy's throat.

"I swear on her life," Luke said, his eyes still on Tracy. "Let me call me 911. I just want to get her medical attention. You can leave before anyone shows up," he tried bargaining, knowing perfectly well Manny wouldn't go for it.

"Did you forget who you were talking to?" he asked simply. To Tracy, he murmured, "Come on, Sweet—" he suddenly fell to the ground, mid-sentence. His arms relaxed, and Tracy was released from his grip. She too hit the ground. Luke immediately rushed to his wife's side and pulled her away from Manny, just as Jason came running down the stairs.

"Is she all right?" he asked.

"I don't know," he answered worriedly, as he took out his cell phone and began dialing.

"Did you shoot him?" Luke asked.

"No," he expressed zero emotion. Nothing new there.

"Then what happened?—Barbara Jean, it's me. Are you at the hospital? You need to send some doctors to the 5th floor stair well…I don't give a damn about the fire and evacuation procedures! Barbara Jean! It's Tracy…Yes, Tracy Quartermaine. She needs help, damnit!" he told her, out of breath. "Hurry up!" He stroked his wife's hair, "Come on, Spankybuns. Wake up. Wake up," he looked up to Jason. "How in this hell did all this happen?"

PREVIEW: Tracy wakes up in the hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Less than an hour later, Tracy Quartermaine found herself resting in a hospital bed, hooked up to oxygen. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Welcome back, Spankybuns," laughed her husband.

"Luke," she coughed.

"Shh, shh," he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Jason?" she whispered. "He's…"

Luke laughed quietly, "You're asking about Jason? What else besides oxygen does this hospital have you on? He's fine, by the way."

She continued with a one word response, "Manny," she spoke, fearfully. "I heard something…I—"

"Shh, shh," he repeated. "It's all right," he said soothingly. "Manny Ruiz is dead."

Tracy coughed some more, "Please, don't tell me Jason Morgan—"

"Jason didn't come to your rescue," Luke chuckled.

"Good," she said seriously. She started to remove the tubes that steadily fed oxygen through her nostrils.

"Uh, uh, uh, Spanky. Doctor's orders."

"And since when do you ever take doctor's orders?" she sat up.

"All right. I can see that you're feeling better," he smiled. "Must because I'm here."

"Don't flatter yourself," she ordered. "It's irritating."

"Would you rather I flatter you?"

Some things would never change. The witty banter between them was not an exception.

"Um, you said Manny was dead," she was searching for answers.

"He collapsed. Something to do with the brain. But, uh, yeah, he's dead," he repeated. "So is his partner."

"I'm supposed to believe he also had some sort of brain aneurysm or whatever."

Luke looked down.

"Luke Spencer," she said in a wife-like tone. She cleared her throat.

"Jason killed him. That was the gun shot we heard."

Tracy figured as much, but she still responded, "Ugh! So he is big part of the reason I'm still on this Earth." _He wasn't supposed to save me. I was supposed to do that myself._

Luke must have read her mind, "Pretty hard to save yourself when you're unconscious."

She rolled her eyes at her husband, "So…I shouldn't worry about another psychopath making an attempt on my life any time soon?"

"Have you pissed off Helena Cassadine recently?"

She looked at him strangely.

"It's a joke, Spanky. It's a joke."

"It wasn't funny," she sighed.

"I'm sorry," he sincerely apologized. He should've known better than to make a joke like that.

A nurse entered the room.

"How are we in here?" she asked.

"Mercy Hospital is treating my wife well," Luke said.

"The fire," Tracy realized. "GH is still there, right?"

Luke laughed, "Yeah. The fire department is clearing it as we speak."

"We'll transfer you there shortly," smiled the nurse.

"How long will I be stuck in the hospital?" she wondered.

"A day or so."

Tracy and Luke exchanged glances. Luke decided to speak up, "Is that necessary? She really wants to go home."

"I'll see what I can do," smiled the nurse. "Excuse me." She started to leave but stopped herself, "Before I forget, Ms. Quartermaine has a visitor."

"Um, who?" she wondered.

"A Mr. Morgan."

Luke started to laugh, "Ohh, Spanky. Can't wait to see this."

"Should I not send him in?"

Tracy hesitated for a brief moment before responding, "No, it's fine."

"Very well," the nurse smiled. "I'll go get him."

Tracy smiled uneasily.

"I'll be right outside," Luke told her.

PREVIEW: Tracy contemplates Jason's advice.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Jason entered the room stiffly with his hands, not surprisingly, in his pockets. Tracy rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked rudely. _Why the hell is he here?_

"You, uh, handled yourself better than I would've imagined."

"Is that a compliment or insult?" she retorted. _Oh my God. Can't he just leave? _

"I'm glad you're okay," he managed to say.

Tracy didn't know how to respond. He wasn't going to get a "thank you," that much was for sure. "I'm glad too," she said dryly.

"I guess I'll be leaving." He headed towards the door.

"Um, wait," she bit her lip. "I'm um, glad that…you're—also—okay," she spit it out, and it was the truth. After all, he _was _her brother's son, and if she didn't care about him, Alan did.

Jason nodded before walking out.

_Thank goodness. _Nothing had really changed. She'd still see him as embarrassment to the Quartermaines. Jason still see her as…Well, Jason didn't care enough to see her as anything but the occasional annoyance. After Jason exited, Luke reentered.

"Well, that was quick. Why am I not surprised?"

Tracy smiled. The difference in his appearance from earlier that afternoon was striking. He no longer seemed frightened, upset, and tense, but instead calm, content, and relaxed, the complete opposite. She recalled Jason's advice. She had been given a second chance—

"Tracy?"

"Hmm," her thoughts had been interrupted.

"You all right?"

She licked her lips, "Uh huh."

He squinted his eyes and waved a finger in her face, "I don't think so, Spanky. What is it?"

After swallowing she began to tell him, "I, um…When I..."

"What is it?" he was concerned.

"When Jason and I were, uh…"

"Aww," he smiled. "You two bonded."

"Oh please," she said disgustedly. _I can't believe that's almost the truth._ _Jason and I…We did bond…We…Why did I have to listen to him?_

"Your mind is wandering again, Sugar Plum. What happened?" He moved closer.

She bit her lip, "When we were in the elevator, I, um…I honestly believed that I was going to die. Either suffocate or fall ten floors into the ground," her voice quivered.

"You didn't."

"No, I didn't," she reaffirmed. "But um," she was gesturing with her hand. "I didn't want to die without um…" She didn't want to believe in this second chance nonsense. It might've been the truth, but Tracy Quartermaine wasn't one to go around spouting second chances and fate and all that.

"What is it?" Luke asked again. He was persistent.

She pressed her lips together. _Should I tell him? Should I? I wonder if the hospital has me on medication. Can I tell him I love him, and then blame it on that? Ugh…_

She started again, "I uh, didn't want to die without um," she had a hard time finishing.

"Without?" he waited impatiently.

She couldn't look him in the eye, "Without telling you that I love you," she finally blurted it out.

Luke's eyes widened, "I…" The words wouldn't come out.

Tracy tried to backtrack, almost regretting what she said, "…that I love you spending time with Dillon. Uh, yeah, Dillon," she spoke uncomfortably. "Well, with Paul completely out of his life, Dillon needs…He…Uh…needs…"

"A father?"

"Exactly," she agreed. "And I'm really glad you're kind of serving as that person." _Oh, I'm a better liar than this._

"Well, I am honored," he played along.

Tracy just nodded. She didn't know whether or not she should be grateful that Luke wasn't giving her a hard time about this. "I, uh, probably need my rest. Could you, uh—"

"Leave?"

"Yeah, um," she swallowed. "Leave," she repeated.

Luke tapped her shoulder before walking out of the room. He found Jason lurking in the hallway.

"Are you stalking my wife or what?" he asked lightheartedly.

"Sam's supposed to meet me here."

"Ah," he realized. "Uh, thanks," Luke told Jason.

"For what? I didn't save Tracy's life," he said.

"Well, you did take care of Manny's partner, but thanks for uh, whatever you told her. I swear, talking to that woman is like talking to brick wall sometimes, and," he laughed, "I love her for that among other things, but uh…You got through to her."

"I didn't say much," Jason responded.

"Well, you said enough."

"Jason!" Sam interrupted. She ran into his arms. Luke took that as his cue to leave.

"Oh my God, Jason! Are you all right?" she let go of him, so she could speak.

"I'm all right," he paused. Sam rested her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair. He decided to take his own advice, "I love you, you know that?"

"Of course I know that," she whispered. "I love you too."

He thought about what Tracy had told him, "And I'm happy that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you."

She smiled and swallowed, "Good because I'm happy too." And then, she hugged him again. It was probably a good thing Tracy Quartermaine hadn't witnessed their "happily ever after" fairy-tale moment; she might have vomited.

Meanwhile, inside her room, Tracy closed her eyes and decided to be glad that her husband didn't tease her about what she had said. Perhaps he would just wait until she felt better and then proceed to use it against her whenever he could. But she said what she needed to, in a big part thanks to Jason Morgan, but it didn't matter. Tracy had been given a second chance, and she sure as hell wasn't going to mess it up.

Not too much later, Luke quietly reentered the hospital room and took a seat by his sleeping wife's bedside. He gently placed a hand on hers, "I love you too, Spankybuns," he whispered.

Would he ever find out that she _wasn't_ sleeping?

THE END!

Happy Birthday to DebbieB!

And, thanks to everyone for the kind reviews:)


End file.
